We’re number one! We’re number one! Every team and everyone on the team likes to shout, we’re number one! It is a great feeling to be number one. In a couple months, Lord willing as we say, we will more than likely hear the chant, Astros, Astros, as the baseball season winds down and moves into the playoffs. And there is nothing wrong with following your favorite sports team, rooting for them to win. Sports are a great pastime. Unfortunately, it is when we put too much emphasis on sports, when sports become all consuming, that is when we forget what really matters. There was an article in one of the papers a while back giving a little background on sports and on the Olympics in particular and reminding us that the Olympics were originally a time to show off ones military might and to honor one or more of the Greek gods. Again, do not get me wrong, I like watching sports and the Olympics. I think that sports, watching sporting events and more particular participating for the exercise is a great idea, but I really do not like the glorification of athletes, no matter how good they are, nor the idea of a person being so tied to the winning or losing of a team that it affects their mood. When it comes to the Olympics, which now we see every other year, last year being the Summer games and next year being the Winter games, I am not so keen on the idea of the Greek gods being pushed on me, as if the Greek society was something special for being so open minded as having not one, but several gods. The upshot of this introduction being, according to some in our society, what a terrible, intolerant person I am for espousing only one God and saying there is only one way to heaven. And that is what are text is talking about today.
Our text begins by telling us that the LORD is the only God, as we read in verse six, “6Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god’” (v. 6). The LORD is Israel’s King and Redeemer. The LORD Almighty is the only one true God, the maker of heaven and earth. The LORD is the ruler over Israel, and not just the Israel of old, but of the new Israel. He is the ruler of the new Kingdom. He is ruler over all believers. The LORD is Israel’s Redeemer, again, not just Israel of old, but He is the Redeemer of all people. In other words, the LORD is Jesus and Jesus is the LORD.
The LORD is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. The LORD is eternal. He has no beginning and He has no end. He always was and always will be. He lives in the eternal present so for Him there is no yesterday, today and tomorrow there is only the present, the now, the eternal now. The LORD is God and God is the LORD. Jesus is God and God is Jesus. The LORD is Jesus and Jesus is the LORD.
The LORD is the only God, apart from Him there is no God. This belief flies smack in the face of those who say there is more than one way to heaven. I know you have heard the opinions of others, such statements as, “We need to be more open minded and tolerant of other religions.” “It does not matter what you believe, as long as you believe enough or are sincere in your faith, in what you believe.” If that were the case, that it does not matter in what or in whom you believe or that you simply are sincere or believe enough, then why did Jesus bother dying on the cross? If there are many ways to heaven, if sincerity of faith were the issue, then Jesus died on the cross for nothing. The LORD, God, says, that apart from Him there is no God and apart from Him there is no salvation. So, which is it? Are there many ways to the same place? or is there only one way?
Who knows the answer to that question? That question is best answered by someone who has been around for a long time and knows the answer. And who knows as the LORD knows. We read verse seven, “7Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen” (v. 7). Only the LORD knows what has happened since the beginning of the world, because He is the one who created the world and He is the only One who was there when He created the world. Darwin does not know what has happened since the beginning of the world, because he was not there. Scientific theories do not know what has happened since the beginning of the world, because they were not there, and that is why they are only theories because they cannot be proven. God alone knows what happened at creation and what has happened since the beginning of our time because He alone was there and He alone tells us what happened in His Word.
The LORD has established His ancient people. That does not mean the children of Israel, but it means all the peoples that He has created. The LORD has established His ancient people that is all believers in Jesus. It is God’s will that all people hear His Word and come to faith. It is God’s will that all people hear His Word and are saved. That all people come to faith and are saved is God’s will, even though He also gives us the will to refuse and resists His salvation. And since the fall into sin, since we are all conceived and born in sin, and since our will has been tainted by sin, our only option, apart from the help of the Holy Spirit, is to refuse, resist and reject His salvation and we see people do just that, refuse, resist and reject His salvation week in and week out, day in and day out.
So, how do we know who is right and who is not? As we learned a couple weeks ago, we know that a true prophet is known by the truth of his prophecy. If his prophecies come true, all his prophecies, then he is a true prophet. If any one of his prophecies does not come true, then he is a false prophet. God challenges all prophets, especially those false prophets to whom He has not revealed the truth. He challenges the psychic friends hotline. He challenges fortune tellers. He challenges palm readers. He challenges them all to proclaim what has happened since the beginning of time and what will happen in the future. He challenges them because He knows they do not know what they are talking about, because only He knows what was, what is, and what will be.
God says to us, “do not be afraid, the Lord is on your side.” We read verse eight, “8Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any” (v. 8). These words are a reminder that we do not need to be afraid on two counts. First, we do not need to be afraid of those who will persecute us because of our lack of open mindedness, our intolerance, especially our intolerance of sin. We do not need to be afraid of those who would persecute us for saying there is only one God and that God is the LORD. We do not need not be afraid of those who would persecute us for saying that there is only one way to heaven. For the Bible tells us there are false gods and idols, but there is no true God besides the LORD.
Second, we do not need to be afraid of divine retribution, that is we do not need to be afraid because we have been sinful and we continue to sin. We do not need to be afraid because we have been saved. We do not need to fear eternal spiritual death, which would be the result of our sin, because Jesus has given His life, He has shed His blood for us on the cross. Jesus has suffered the eternal punishment, which should have been ours, for us, in our place. It has already been accomplished.
Isaiah reminds us that God is our Rock, our fortress. In the New Testament, in first Corinthians we are even told that the Rock is Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). Where do we go when the persecutions of this world are upon us? We go to the Rock, to Christ, who is our fortress and protection. Where do we go when our sinful nature is closing in on us, accusing us of a multitude of sin? We go to the Rock. It is this same Rock that becomes a crushing bolder on those who do not believe. The Rock is Christ the Lord, the King of all, the Judge of all, and the Redeemer of all.
Our text for today is one that can best be summarized by three times answering the question, “how is this done?” And we will answer that question with some catechism review. So, if you would like to follow along, you can open your hymnal to pages 322-323. How is this done? How does God know what has happened since the beginning of the world? This is done by God the Father who has created all things and still preserves them. Dr. Martin Luther expressed it best in his explanation to the First Article. I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
How is this done? How is it that the LORD is our Redeemer? Again, going back to Dr. Martin Luther. He expressed it best in his explanation to the Second Article. I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
And, how is this done? How is it that we have been established as the people of God? And one more time, going back to Dr. Martin Luther. He expressed it best in his explanation to the Third Article. I believe that I cannot by my own reason our strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
The world would have us believe that there are many ways to heaven. Actually, the many ways can be summed up in just two, because what seems to be the way of many ways, is just a variation of just the one way and that one way is through self. In reality then, there are basically only two religions in our world. All religions will fit into these two basic religion groups. All religions, except the Christian faith, can be summarized by saying that a person is saved by the good works they do that is by the character of the person. In other words, we become our own savior, our own god. The other way is the way of the Bible, the Christian church, which teaches that salvation comes from outside ourselves. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus and His saving work of living the perfect life for us, taking our sins and dying on the cross for us. So you can depend on yourself and the uncertainty of your life, or you can depend on the Lord and the certainty of Him, His Word and the giving of His life for yours. Praise the Lord that He has made us His own, by His grace through faith which He has given to us through the waters of Holy Baptism, which He strengthens in us through His Word and His Holy Supper, and He keeps us in faith so that we live under Him in His kingdom. And He stirs in us our response of faith to say, to Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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